Quiet Color

BANKSY REVEALED?

by devin quinn

It’s not the first time, and it may not be the last, but the Mail on Sunday newspaper has claimed to have found the true identity of the graffiti/stencil artist Banksy. The evidence: a 4 year old photograph of a man applying yellow paint to a concrete wall in Jamaica. The paper was able to trace his identity by showing the photo to friends and acquaintances, who later acknowledged him to be one Robin Gunningham. The only person who could 100% confirm this, Banky’s agent and art dealer Steve Lazarides, has said that the person in the photo is not his client.

So it seems unlikely that we’ll get a straight answer on this one. But what would happen if the man in the photo is Banksy, aka Robin Gunningham? Knowing his identity won’t change his work, or more importantly, the messages of his art. He may have to deal with a bit more press or paparazzi than he’d prefer, granted, but ideally it would increase his prominence in the world of guerilla art. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather see more of his work than see his real face. Looks like time will tell. To read more check out this article on BBC.com.